


closer.

by orphan_account



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nosebleed, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Paul reluctantly shares a hotel room with the newest member of the band, Ringo Starr, for a night | Based/Inspired on/by a comic by cirilee on tumblr- link in notes.
Relationships: Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney/Ringo Starr
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	closer.

**Author's Note:**

> https://cirilee.tumblr.com/post/182698579747/so-yes-that-ones-actually-true-only-paul-would

1962,

“Right, boys. Off to your rooms.”

They stood in the lobby of yet another hotel. It was late at night and almost completely empty. Paul and the rest of his band stood around Brian Epstein, their manager, after having come back from yet another successful gig. His bones and muscles ached from exhaustion but his mind roared with adrenaline. Paul could feel the muscles in his legs groan as he walked and the fibres of his clothes scratched and stuck to his sweaty, sensitive skin that buzzed with energy. All four took the elevator to the same floor. Brian had stayed behind in the blinding yellow lobby to go over paperwork or something or another. Paul had been too tired and distracted to pay any attention to the last part of Brian’s monologue. 

The elevator slowly came to a halt on their floor and as they stood in the hallway connected to it- they stared in silence at each other. Brian had already sorted them into rooms- two rooms, two inhabitants. And this time around Paul shared it with the newest member of the band, Ringo. Usually he would have parted one half the band to go off with John to their shared room- to stay up most of the night riffing on one another and writing songs but Paul supposed this was a kind of punishment for John for the night- as he had acted ‘unruly’ around some journalists and girls earlier that day. John was unhappy but accepted it with a scowl as he stomped towards the room with George hurried behind him, throwing a timid wave at Paul and Ringo before disappearing altogether.

Paul smiled, tentatively, as Ringo and he went to their own room. Paul felt the familiar chest pains of anxiety and nervosity. This was new… different. Not Ringo- he had known the lad for… almost three years now. But the whole ‘sharing a room’ and ‘sharing a night’ was still an unknown territory. It was almost as if Paul had forgotten how to share a room with someone other than John after they had done it for so many years. Paul couldn’t recall the last time he had shared a room with George. With anyone other than John.

The carpet of their tiny room muffled the sounds of their shoes as they shuffled into the room, throwing their bags carelessly unto their beds as Ringo went directly for the bathroom while Paul looked around the hotel room that was to be their sanctuary for the night. It wasn’t much different from anywhere else they had stayed at during their tour of the country. His mind blank, Paul went directly for the minibar- not with a clear goal or intention in mind but just to please the sudden need, want, for something in his mouth. It was when he was crouched down so low that Ringo appeared back into the room- falling over Paul in the process due to the oddly close placement the fridge had to the bathroom door.

“Fuck!”

Paul yelled out as Ringo tumbled over him and landed with a thud on the hard carpet. Paul, on his hands and knees, blinked down at the carpet beneath him in a dazed state the side of his body Ringo had stepping into throbbed in pain. Ringo… He needed to check on Ringo! 

“Ringo!” 

He turned his head to where Ringo had landed and saw him weakly get up on the bed as his legs shook. His nose was bleeding and Paul felt a sense of dreaded panic rush through him at the sight of dark red blood dripping from Ringo’s wonderful nose. He scrambled to get to the bathroom for some tissue paper, forcefully ignoring the hard shaking that made it hard to walk. He hurried to get the paper and hurried equally to get back to the room, almost stumbling on the way on the exact same spot that had caused this unfortunate event. “Here, Ringo,” Paul whispered and gestured the bundle of papers towards the drummer, afraid to speak much louder as it felt like something had lodged itself in his throat. It felt like the familiar pangs of anxiety. 

Ringo garbled out his thanks as he leaned his head backwards, the stark white paper close to it- quickly darkening from the blood. They sat in silence- Paul watching Ringo hold the tissues to his nose, occasionally giving the drummer fresh ones as the old and discarded ones had become damp with blood. Paul was slowly getting overwhelmed with grief and the heavy thought of having been the one to cause such an injury to Ringo- the newest Beatle. What an introduction to the band, huh?

Suddenly Paul was pulled of his depressing thoughts as deep rumble emitted from Ringo. A deep laughter, more like it. Taking in the sights and sounds of Ringo; Paul followed with- laughing, watching Ringo with tissues stuck in his nose as they laughed in their domestic little choir. They took large breaths, and they soon came to a halt and calmed down from their brief hysteria. “Thank you,” Ringo said as he looked down at Paul, still kneeled on the floor, his eyes a clear blue. 

“Huh?”

Paul was confused- what had Ringo to thank him for? He caused the nosebleed! Ringo, noticing the confusion clear on Paul’s face, laughed briefly again and fidgeted about on his seat on the hard bed. His face grew warm as he said; “I know it’s kinda silly to say, but thanks for making me feel like I belong.” Paul stuttered, eyes wide, shocked at the importance and weight of such a simple thing. His chest grew heavy, watching Ringo nod to himself with a lazy smile while he picked at the tissues at his nose- the blood getting dry and starting to crumple down on his lap. “You’re…You’re-” Paul stammered but ceased when Ringo patted his hand softly- telling him that he needn’t say no more. He understood.


End file.
